Baltimore's trash wheels have collected more than 1M foam containers since 2014

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 6:25 PM EDT Mar 12, 2019

Hide TranscriptShow Transcript

>> IF THE -- AT THE RATE THE WORLD IS GOING, THERE WILL SOON BE MORE PLASTIC IN THE OCEAN AND FISH. ENVIRONMENTALISTS BELIEVE BANNING STYROFOAM IS A STEP FORWARD IN COMPLAINING UP THE -- IN CLEANING UP THE PLANET. >> WE HAVE A DUTY TO FUTURE GENERATIONS TO SERIOUSLY CURTAIL THE USE OF DRASTIC -- OF PLASTICS. IT MAY FEEL LIKE A SMALL STEP TO SAY WE ARE GOING TO TAKE JUST ONE SMALL FORM OF INSIDIOUS PLASTIC, STYROFOAM, AND START WITH THAT, JUST HERE IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND, BUT IT WILL BE A BIG STEP, BECAUSE WE WOULD BE THE FIRST STATE TO PASS THE BAN IN AMERICA. >> IT WOULD INCLUDE RESTAURANTS, CAFES, SUPERMARKETS, VENDING TRUCKS, CARTS, MOVIE THEATERS, K-12 SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES. IT INCLUDES EIGHT CARTONS, VEGETABLE TRAYS, PLATES. VIOLATORS WOULD PAY A FINE. THERE WOULD BE A ONE-YEAR GRACE PERIOD TO PHASE OUT THE CONTAINERS. THE MARYLAND RETAIL ASSOCIATION OPPOSES THE BILL. IN A REPORT, THEY CITE THE HIGH COST OF PACKAGING AS THE REASON. THEY CLAIM ALTERNATIVES WOULD COST $.85 MORE. THE COST INCREASE WOULD BE PASSED ON TO CONSUMERS. THE BILLS SPONSOR SAYS MARYLAND IS SENDING A MESSAGE. >> ITS REALLY SAYING SOMETHING AND I HOPE IT’S PART OF A LARGER EFFORT. >> IF THE BIL

Advertisement

Bill passes to make Maryland first state to ban foam food containers

Baltimore's trash wheels have collected more than 1M foam containers since 2014

The House of Delegates passed a bill Tuesday to make Maryland the first state to ban the use of foam food containers and cups.Half of Maryland residents already live in areas where polystyrene foam is banned. This bill makes it statewide. The House vote comes a week after the Maryland Senate approved their own version of the legislation. This is the third attempt to pass this bill. Bill supporters warn at the rate the world is going, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. Environmentalists believe banning the use of polystyrene foam used in carry-out containers and cups is a step forward in cleaning up the planet. "We have a duty, I think, to future generations to start seriously curtailing the use of single use plastic," said Delegate Brooke Lierman, D-Baltimore City. Lierman is the primary sponsor of the legislation."It may feel like a small step to take this one form of really insidious plastic Styrofoam and start with that just here in the state of Maryland, but it is a big step because (Maryland) will be the first state to ban a major form of plastic in America," said Lierman.The legislation, similar to what the Senate passed last week, prohibits restaurants, cafes, supermarkets, vending trucks, carts, movie theaters, K-12 schools and colleges from providing polystyrene food containers. This also includes egg cartons, vegetable trays and plates. Violators face a $250 fine. There would be a one-year grace period to phase out the containers. The ban does not apply to products coming in from out of state. The Maryland Retailers Association opposed the bill. In a 2017 report, the association cited the high cost of using alternative packaging as a reason. It claims that for every dollar spent on polystyrene containers it would cost $1.85 on average to provide replacement alternatives. The increase would be passed onto customers. Consumers would spend an additional $34.9 million each year to replace the banned products. The bill sponsor says Maryland is sending a message. "That's really saying something, and I hope it is the start of a larger, bigger effort," said Lierman. The Baltimore Waterfront Partnership's Healthy Harbor Initiative announced Tuesday that the trash wheel family -- Mr. Trash Wheel, Professor Trash Wheel and Captain Trash Wheel -- has collected more than 1 million Styrofoam containers since the first wheel launched in 2014.According to Trash Free Maryland, polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam, is a major pollution risk for people and marine life. The hazardous material absorbs more chemicals from the water than any other plastic and exposes fish to unsafe levels of pesticide and fertilizers."Healthy Harbor supported the Styrofoam ban in Baltimore City, and is thrilled to see the expanded ban pass for the state of Maryland," Adam Lindquist, director of the Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative, said in a statement. "Foam containers are shown to be more harmful to marine life than plastic, so this bill pass is a huge win for water quality."The bill's sponsor believes House and Senate negotiators will quickly resolve differences in the legislation. That could happen anytime starting next week.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. —

The House of Delegates passed a bill Tuesday to make Maryland the first state to ban the use of foam food containers and cups.

Half of Maryland residents already live in areas where polystyrene foam is banned. This bill makes it statewide.

Related Content

The House vote comes a week after the Maryland Senate approved their own version of the legislation. This is the third attempt to pass this bill.

Bill supporters warn at the rate the world is going, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.

Environmentalists believe banning the use of polystyrene foam used in carry-out containers and cups is a step forward in cleaning up the planet.

"We have a duty, I think, to future generations to start seriously curtailing the use of single use plastic," said Delegate Brooke Lierman, D-Baltimore City.

Lierman is the primary sponsor of the legislation.

"It may feel like a small step to take this one form of really insidious plastic Styrofoam and start with that just here in the state of Maryland, but it is a big step because (Maryland) will be the first state to ban a major form of plastic in America," said Lierman.

This also includes egg cartons, vegetable trays and plates. Violators face a $250 fine. There would be a one-year grace period to phase out the containers. The ban does not apply to products coming in from out of state.

The Maryland Retailers Association opposed the bill. In a 2017 report, the association cited the high cost of using alternative packaging as a reason. It claims that for every dollar spent on polystyrene containers it would cost $1.85 on average to provide replacement alternatives. The increase would be passed onto customers. Consumers would spend an additional $34.9 million each year to replace the banned products.

The bill sponsor says Maryland is sending a message.

"That's really saying something, and I hope it is the start of a larger, bigger effort," said Lierman.

The Baltimore Waterfront Partnership's Healthy Harbor Initiative announced Tuesday that the trash wheel family -- Mr. Trash Wheel, Professor Trash Wheel and Captain Trash Wheel -- has collected more than 1 million Styrofoam containers since the first wheel launched in 2014.

According to Trash Free Maryland, polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam, is a major pollution risk for people and marine life. The hazardous material absorbs more chemicals from the water than any other plastic and exposes fish to unsafe levels of pesticide and fertilizers.

"Healthy Harbor supported the Styrofoam ban in Baltimore City, and is thrilled to see the expanded ban pass for the state of Maryland," Adam Lindquist, director of the Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative, said in a statement. "Foam containers are shown to be more harmful to marine life than plastic, so this bill pass is a huge win for water quality."

The bill's sponsor believes House and Senate negotiators will quickly resolve differences in the legislation. That could happen anytime starting next week.